Capt. Roy Brown had ordered the young airman not to engage the enemy, but Lt. Wilfrid 害羞草研究所淲op害羞草研究所� May 害羞草研究所� a school chum from Edmonton 害羞草研究所� couldn害羞草研究所檛 help himself.

It was April 21, 1918 害羞草研究所� a century ago this Saturday 害羞草研究所� and the two Canadians in their canvas-covered Sopwith Camel biplanes were about to match wits with the deadliest ace of the First World War, Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron.

As the engines of primitive German and British warplanes snarled in the skies over the Somme River in northern France, May joined the fight, only to have his guns jam as Richthofen害羞草研究所檚 all-red Fokker triplane closed in from behind for what would have been his 81st kill.

害羞草研究所淏rown saw that his buddy was in trouble,害羞草研究所� says Don Brodeur, Brown害羞草研究所檚 grandson and a retired Royal Canadian Air Force pilot with more than 6,000 hours of flight time in fighter jets.

害羞草研究所淩ichthofen broke some of his own cardinal rules 害羞草研究所� He followed May for too long, which is why Brown got on top of him.害羞草研究所�

As May flew fast and low over the French countryside, skimming over the scars left by trenches and bomb craters, Brown pitched his plane into a dive and aimed his machine-guns at Richthofen, firing bursts at long range.

害羞草研究所�(Brown) wound that Camel up to 190 miles an hour, which was no mean feat,害羞草研究所� says David Bashow, editor of the Canadian Military Journal and a retired lieutenant-colonel who served 36 years with the RCAF.

害羞草研究所淭hat aircraft was particularly unstable at high speeds.害羞草研究所�

What happened next has long been the subject of an intense debate, even as the world marks the 100th anniversary of the storied dogfight.

May escaped as Richthofen broke off to the right to avoid Brown害羞草研究所檚 blasts and rising terrain, but that manoeuvre brought him within range of Australian Corps machine-guns on the ground.

Soon after Brown fired on the scarlet fighter aircraft, Richthofen crashed in a sugar-beet field, where he died from a gunshot wound to the chest. He was 25.

The Royal Air Force credited the 24-year-old Canadian, originally from Carleton Place, Ont., with the combat victory 害羞草研究所� his 10th.

However, the results from autopsies performed on Richthofen害羞草研究所檚 body raised questions about who fired the fatal shot.

Over the years, some historians and forensics experts have suggested the orientation of Richthofen害羞草研究所檚 wounds indicated the .303-calibre bullet must have been fired from the ground and not from Brown害羞草研究所檚 guns, which fired the same type of ammunition.

害羞草研究所淥ver time, the Australians made a very compelling case for one of their troops on the ground,害羞草研究所� says Bashow, an associate professor at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ont., and a former fighter pilot who logged 2,400 hours in the supersonic CF-104 Starfighter.

害羞草研究所�(Brown害羞草研究所檚) flight-path geometry just does not work.害羞草研究所�

However, Brown害羞草研究所檚 grandson disagrees, saying the more plausible explanation is that Brown fired a lucky shot.

害羞草研究所淭here is only one record,害羞草研究所� Brodeur said in an interview from his home in Victoria. 害羞草研究所滲oth Canada and the U.K. attribute the shooting down of the Red Baron to Capt. A. Roy Brown. That害羞草研究所檚 a fact to this day.害羞草研究所�

As well, Brodeur says his interpretation of what happened 害羞草研究所� as seen through the eyes of an experienced fighter pilot 害羞草研究所� has led him to conclude Richthofen害羞草研究所檚 aircraft would have been practically inverted for the Australian theory to make sense.

害羞草研究所淚n movies, you see aircraft rolling in a dogfight, but it害羞草研究所檚 a waste of time,害羞草研究所� says Brodeur, who flew several types of jet fighters and was a member of the Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerobatic squadron.

害羞草研究所淚t looks good in Hollywood films, but it害羞草研究所檚 not something you do in an air-to-air fight.害羞草研究所�

Rob Probert, president of the Roy Brown Historical Society in Carleton Place, says there was nothing to be learned by examining Richthofen害羞草研究所檚 downed plane because it had been damaged by artillery shells and quickly stripped by souvenir hunters.

害羞草研究所淏rown was officially credited with the kill, and 100 years later that still stands,害羞草研究所� Probert says.

害羞草研究所淭he problem here in Canada is that there hasn害羞草研究所檛 been a group championing Roy Brown害羞草研究所檚 story, until our group came along. We害羞草研究所檙e just trying to make sure the story doesn害羞草研究所檛 get lost over time 害羞草研究所� It害羞草研究所檚 part of the Canadian psyche not to brag about our heroes.害羞草研究所�

Appropriately, the society will gather Saturday in Carleton Place, to fete the man they say brought down the Red Baron.

Regardless of who fired the fatal shot, one thing is for certain: Were it not for Brown害羞草研究所檚 superior skills as a pilot and leader, one of the most celebrated aerial battles of the war would never have happened.

害羞草研究所淚 think he was a hero for sure 害羞草研究所� he never lost a man under his command,害羞草研究所� says Probert, who is part of a local effort to have a statue of Brown installed across from town hall in Carleton Place.

害羞草研究所淚t can害羞草研究所檛 be refuted that Brown caused this battle to happen.害羞草研究所�

After the dogfight, Brown went to a nearby aircraft hangar to see Richthofen害羞草研究所檚 body.

害羞草研究所淗is face, particularly peaceful, had an expression of gentleness and goodness, of refinement,害羞草研究所� Brown later wrote.

害羞草研究所淪uddenly I felt miserable, desperately unhappy, as if I had committed an injustice. With a feeling of shame, a kind of anger against myself 害羞草研究所� I could no longer look him in the face. I went away. I did not feel like a victor 害羞草研究所� If he had been my dearest friend, I could not have felt greater sorrow.害羞草研究所�

Brown, who was in poor health and complained of being on the verge of a nervous breakdown, was later transferred to a flight training unit. He was badly injured in a crash on July 5, 1918, when his engine quit soon after takeoff.

Unlike Richthofen, whose martyrdom continues to be commemorated in books, movies and, of course, the perennial Peanuts cartoon, Brown害羞草研究所檚 legacy is largely muted in Canada.

害羞草研究所淗e didn害羞草研究所檛 really speak about his exploits,害羞草研究所� says Tim Cook, First World War historian at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 have a whole lot of military heroes from the past who still resonate today. It has something to do with our national character. It has something to do with how we view war and peace. And, perhaps, there害羞草研究所檚 the sense that Canadians are not always the best at backslapping and elevating their heroes.害羞草研究所�

Brown moved to Stouffville, Ont., after the war. He died of a heart attack in 1944 at the age of 50.

He is buried in Toronto, but his grave remained unmarked until a few years ago.

Michael MacDonald, The Canadian Press

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